God has been teaching me so much through this writing journey He’s invited me on. He gave me this interesting epiphany last Saturday.
I’d finished reading The Hiding Place, a tremendous book that chronicles Corrie Ten Boom’s early family life and her experiences in Dutch prisons and German concentration camps because of her work hiding Jewish people during WWII. (Read it if you haven’t.)
In one scene, she and her sister, Betsy, enter a room in Ravensbruck, a notorious women’s extermination camp. As they’re about to put down their blankets, they see the straw wiggling with fleas. Betsy implores Corrie to pray thanksgiving prayers. They thank God that they’re together again after being separated for months. They thank God for their Bible that should have been confiscated after several searches.
Then Betsy says, “Thank You for the fleas.” Corrie says, “The fleas! Are you kidding me?” (My paraphrase here.)
Betsy insists, “‘Give thanks in all circumstances.’ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.” So they thank God for the fleas.
Later we read that because the room was full of fleas, the cruel guards won’t enter it, leaving Betsy and Corrie blessed freedom to conduct their Bible studies that minister to the other women prisoners.
God is present even in a flea-infested room and can use anything for His glory.
This brings me to my epiphany.
I like to share with people that God has given me this writing journey. It’s His, and I’m trying to be obedient to what He calls me to write.
I also like to say how much I hate the marketing part of this journey. I’m not good at it. It takes away time I could be writing. Some people might say I like to whine about it.
But.
If I believe God gave me this writing journey and the marketing side is part of it, then God gave that to me, too. I should be thankful for all parts of this journey. I may not be good at it, but God is. If I can’t do something, I should ask God, the original Author, who gives good gifts and helps us do His will.
I should have a better attitude.
So, the epiphany. That’s the easy part. Now comes the hard part of living it out, embracing the not-so-fun part of my journey—marketing.
What’s the hard thing to praise God for in your life?
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